Lizards are a group of squamate reptiles that are widespread throughout the world. Their range includes every continent, except Antarctica, and most oceanic island chains. The lizard’s lizard family includes over 7,000 species. They are considered to be some of the most fascinating animals in the world.
Komodo dragon
The Komodo dragon is an endemic animal of Indonesia. It is part of the Varanidae family. This particular species is endemic to the Komodo Islands. The Komodo dragon is also known as a Komodo monitor. It is the only member of this family that lives in the wild.
Komodo dragons are solitary animals outside of mating season. Males compete with each other for breeding rights and often wrestle for their territory. Female Komodo dragons lay about 30 eggs in September. During this time, the female will build decoy nests to confuse predators. The eggs will then hatch in eight to nine months. The hatchlings will climb nearby trees to escape predators.
Komodo dragons have a keen sense of smell. They can detect food using their long, forked tongue. The tip of the tongue contacts a receptor known as Jacobson’s organs, which recognize airborne molecules. As a result, their left tongue tip is more likely to pick up molecules than the right.
Komodo dragons produce eggs in pits dug in hill slopes or in pilfered megapode nests. The female Komodo dragon guards the nest for several months. The young Komodo dragons hatch and live in trees for the next several months. When they mature, adult Komodo dragons eat smaller members of their own species, and occasionally attack humans. It is often possible to spot Komodo dragons while out on a game trail.
Iguanian lizard
The Iguanian lizard is one of many lizards that are endemic to the New World. This order of lizards is comprised of chameleons, agamids, phrynosomatids, and iguanas.
The Iguanian lizard’s range is located in the southern United States, the Caribbean, and eastern and northern Argentina. It has also been introduced to parts of the Caribbean, including Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago, Saba, Montserrat, and the Virgin Islands.
Its distribution during the Late Cretaceous is not known, but scientists have found the lizard’s fossil remains throughout Africa. Those fossils are very important, as they provide the first evidence of the lizard’s existence in Africa during the Mesozoic. The Iguanian lizard’s fossil records also provide new information about its ancestry.
The Iguanian lizard has a three-chambered heart and a systemic circulatory system. Its muscles have a low myoglobin content and a high proportion of fast-twitch glycolytic muscle fibers. This allows for short bursts of movement.
The Iguanian lizard is a good candidate for testing alternative hypotheses about the origin of viviparity. The lizard is widespread and inhabits many different habitats, including high mountain regions. Several species are even found in the Tibetan Plateau. Scientists have identified three families in the iguanian lizard, each containing several viviparous species.